Producing Our Cheese

Step 1

Milk is collected from our farms, pasteurised and then pumped into vats. Starter culture and rennet are added, turning the milk into curds and whey.

Step 2

The whey is drained and the curd is cut into blocks and salted. It is then milled and placed into cylindrical hoops.

Step 3

The hoops are stacked and moved to a hastener room where they are turned daily for five days. Turning ensures even distribution of the curd.

Step 4

On day six, the cheese is removed from the hoops and wrapped in film to help support it. It is moved to the maturing room where it is turned weekly.

Step 5

During weeks six and seven, the cheeses are skewered by stainless steel needles to activate the growth of the famous blue veins.

Step 6

The cheese grader checks the progress of the cheese by removing a core of the Stilton with a grading iron. This shows a cross section of the cheese from the centre to the crust, which is assessed for maturity and openness of texture.

Step 7

The final product is a perfect Blue Stilton to take centre stage on your cheeseboard.